COUNTY FAIR CHOCOLATE PIE

Steps:

• 1. FOR THE PIE FILLING: Combine sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in a medium saucepan. Set aside.
• 2. Combine milk and egg yolks, whisking thoroughly. Stir egg/milk mixture into dry ingredients well, then drop in butter.
• 3. Cook mixture over medium heat, stirring CONSTANTLY till mixture thickens and boils. (just keep stirring...it will eventually thicken!)
• 4. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
• 5. Pour evenly into pre-baked pie shell. Set on cooling rack while you prepare the meringue topping.
• 6. FOR THE MERINGUE TOPPING: Moisten corn starch with a small amount of cold water in a medium saucepan. Not too runny, but there should be no dry corn starch.
• 7. Stir the boiling water into the moistened corn starch.
• 8. Cook over medium heat until thick and clear. (Be patient, it will happen.) Set pan aside and let thickened corn starch cool.
• 9. Beat egg whites in a chilled bowl until soft peaks are formed. Add salt, then add sugar gradually, beating briefly between additions.
• 10. Beat in the cooked and cooled corn starch mixture until meringue forms stiff peaks.
• 11. Spoon over cooled (or nearly cooled) pie, swirling artfully into delicate peaks. Brown in oven set to 375 F, keeping a constant watch as it can burn quickly.
• 12. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before chilling in refrigerator.
• 13. To serve, grate milk chocolate over pie before cutting. Keep covered and store in refrigerator.